10 reasons to buy a Windows tablet instead of the iPad or Android

Summary: Tablets are all the rage, and those who haven't gotten one already may be considering a purchase. Windows tablets may not be the first slates that come to mind, but these reasons point out why they should be in the running.

Tablets, tablets, it seems everyone either has one or wants one. Those considering to bring one home often first think of the iPad or a Samsung tablet. Those are fine tablets but with the push Microsoft is making to ensure Windows 8 a good fit for tablets, they should also be considered.

The iPad is a top selling tablet for a reason, and Android models are moving in increasing numbers. While these are solid purchases for some, Windows 8 tablets are just as good in some areas and better in others.

There are quite a few reasons that a Windows tablet is a good fit for many buyers, and these 10 may be enough to push some tablet shoppers in the direction of Windows.

It's all about choice

Having options available is always a good thing for tablet shoppers, and Windows has them. While other platforms running tablets have only one (Apple) or a few brands (Samsung, Google, etc.) to choose from, that's not the case with Windows tablets.

Nearly every major PC maker now has one or more tablets in its line, and there's a good selection to choose from. All of the major PC brands are on store shelves: HP, Lenovo, Dell, Asus, Sony, Samsung, and Acer, to name a few. It's a shopper's paradise as favorite brands are likely represented in tablet form.

The growing selection of tablets brings choice in the form of size. Windows tablets are available with screen sizes from eight to thirteen inches. Buyers can get a tablet with a size to best fit the expected use.

Couple of low-priced Windows tablets
Images: Dell, Acer

Choice isn't limited to just brand or size, the big selection also yields a highly competitive environment. That means there are tablets available in a range of prices to fit buyers' budgets. At the time of this publication there are Windows tablets priced as low as $250.

Even hybrids can be found for reasonable prices. The Asus Transformer Book T100 (see ZDNet review) comes with the tablet and laptop dock for around $300. The model below is only $350 and it is not the lowest hardware configuration.

Image: Asus

Plug it in

Windows tablets are full PCs with a thin slate form. Most can do anything that their bigger siblings can do, and that includes letting owners plug peripherals in to do stuff. These include (but aren't limited to) keyboards, mice, external hard drives, and DVD drives.

If you can plug something into your PC, you can almost certainly plug it into your Windows tablet. You can also plug external monitors into the tablet to form a desktop system, and in most cases plug it into that big-screen TV in the living room.

It's true plug and play, and plug and work when appropriate.

Keeps getting better

Windows 8 wasn't that great on tablets when first introduced, but that's a thing of the past. Microsoft has quickly added features and modified others to make the tablet user experience pretty darn good.

The Windows 8.1 update really makes using tablets a good experience. It adds lots of useful features that makes using Windows by touch a great thing.

Windows 8.1 Update 1 is getting ready to roll out, and while most new features are aimed at mouse and keyboard users, they should also work well on touch tablets. That will especially be a benefit for those using a Windows tablet as a laptop, as highlighted in the next slide.

(Image: Ed Bott/ZDNet)

Double duty

Many tablets are available in hybrid form, a slate (screen) that plugs into a dock that turns it into a laptop. These are tablets when you want one and laptops when you need one, as Microsoft is fond of telling us.

While tablets on other platforms can be used with external keyboards, few are as laptop-like as Windows hybrids. Some hybrids are difficult to tell that the screen isn't fixed like a standard laptop, the docks are so good.

Windows is great at instantly sensing when the screen is docked and undocked, so the systems always work with the hardware at hand. They are solid, albeit small, laptops, and often surprisingly good tablets. Road warriors can really benefit from a portable computer with this dual personality.

Then there's Office...

A lot has been said about the need for Microsoft Office on tablets, and while there are decent alternatives to Office on the other tablet platforms, there's no solution as complete as the genuine article.

Windows is the only platform that can run Office locally, and that means Windows tablets stand alone in this regard. Many OEMs offer Microsoft Office included in the purchase price which rounds out the value proposition.

You might be able to get by with one of the alternate office suites available for the iPad or Android tablets, but with a Windows tablet there's no question you can handle everything thrown your way.

Do some real work

You hear a lot of discussion about what constitutes real work, and while I can do my work on any tablet, some need Windows. Many companies have a requirement to use Microsoft Office as discussed in the previous slide, so a Windows tablet is the only option.

Other companies and prospective tablet buyers use software that is proprietary for their operation, and that usually means Windows. These tablets are full PCs as previously stated, so no matter what doing real work entails, a Windows tablet can handle it.

Lots of apps

You've probably heard that there are not as many apps in the store on Windows compared to the iPad or Android. That's certainly true, but with full Windows onboard these tablets have access to a huge library of apps.

The ability to run new apps in the Microsoft Store along with older, legacy Windows apps opens up the playing field for Windows tablets. It would be nice if there were more apps in the app store optimized for tablets, but the collection is growing fast.

Meanwhile, Windows tablet buyers can keep using the programs they have been using for years, until the number of modern apps is greatly increased.

Run any browser you want

Most of us spend a lot of time on the web, and that's especially true for tablet users. While Internet Explorer on tablets is a good browser, some can't live without their favorite third-party browser. That's not a problem for Windows tablets, as they can run any PC web browser.

There are some other browsers on the iPad and Android too, but Windows has pretty much all of them. Firefox users can browse to their heart's content on a Windows tablet, although it won't be a great touch experience. That's not the only browser unavailable on the other platforms, but it has a large user base.

Multi-tasking on the screen

Those who do two things at once on an iPad or most Android tablets are all too familiar with having to swap between the two app screens. Bouncing back and forth is OK, but it would be much better to have the two apps displayed side-by-side on the tablet screen.

Windows tablets have you covered in this regard, as snap view lets you put two apps up at once. You can easily refer to one app while working in the other. No muss, no fuss, just as it should be.

You can adjust the two windows to the sizes that suit the task at hand.

Long-term viability

Companies come, and companies go, and that's especially true in the mobile space. Buying into a mobile platform with any device is making a leap of faith that the platform and the company behind it will be around for the long haul.

That's not a concern with a Windows tablet, as Microsoft is certain to be around for a long time. The company is almost too big to fail, and it's a pretty safe bet your new Windows tablet will be supported for a good while.

The company has gone all-in with Windows 8, so it should be around for the life of the hardware that runs it. Microsoft will surely keep improving Windows, and tablets bought today will keep getting better over time. Unlike the case with Android tablets, it's not a question whether your tablet will get the next big update, it's when will it arrive.

Run any browser you want

Most of us spend a lot of time on the web, and that's especially true for tablet users. While Internet Explorer on tablets is a good browser, some can't live without their favorite third-party browser. That's not a problem for Windows tablets, as they can run any PC web browser.

There are some other browsers on the iPad and Android too, but Windows has pretty much all of them. Firefox users can browse to their heart's content on a Windows tablet, although it won't be a great touch experience. That's not the only browser unavailable on the other platforms, but it has a large user base.

James Kendrick has been using mobile devices since they weighed 30 pounds, and has been sharing his insights on mobile technology for almost that long. Prior to joining ZDNet, James was the Founding Editor of jkOnTheRun, a CNET Top 100 Tech Blog that was acquired by GigaOM in 2008 and is now part of that prestigious tech network. James' w...
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